Networking with Wireless and Wired Routers

[beeson76]

I have a wireless Netgear WGT624 Wireless router with 2 wireless and one wired computer. I also have a Linksys BEFSR81 DSL router with 8 port switch with 4 wired computers on it. I was just wondering if it was possible to network all of them together-and if so, were do I begin. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Madwand]

Assuming that the Linksys has enough performance and features to work as your main router, you should be able to use it as such, and connect the Netgear to is just as a wireless access point serving your wireless clients.

To configure it as an access point, you would manually assign the Netgear an IP compatible with the main router (outside of the main router's DHCP range in order to avoid a conflict), use a LAN connection to connect it to the main router (as the Netgear won't be functioning as a router, you shouldn't use its WAN port), and disable its DHCP.

If you can't use the Linksys as the main router, then I guess you could use it as an overpriced switch -- connecting it to the Netgear using a LAN port, disabling the Linksys DHCP, and connecting other comptures to its remaining LAN ports.

But if you're going to use the Linksys just as an overpriced switch, you'd probably be better off selling it, and getting an inexpensive forward-looking gigabit switch.

Unless you have a specific need for it, you should generally avoid double-NAT / firewall configurations such that one router connects its WAN port to the other router's LAN port, as this makes communicating between computers on the different sides of the second router more difficult.

 

[beeson76]

Thanks Madwand for the reply.

My Linksys has an ip of 192.168.2.1. I have 10 ip addresses reserved for the computers on this router from 192.168.2-192.168.2.11.

So I should turn off the DHCP on the NetGear wireless router and give it a ip address of say 192.168.2.50.

Now here is my question. I know that I now have to manually give each computer on the NetGear a static IP address. But what IP address should I give them to be recognized by the NetGear wireless router? What Gateway IP should I give them--the NetGear or the Linksys IP address.

 

[Madwand]

For everything but the two routers, you should regard the main router the DHCP server. The Netgear's LAN ports should function for computers wired there as a dumb switch linking to the Linksys, so the Linksys should be the auto-configured DHCP/gateway.

Even wireless connections should go through to the Linksys to get IP addresses.

I suggest reading the Netgear support link -- it might have some specifics that help you here. I can't speak myself regarding the details of these devices and their configurations, as I haven't used them myself.

 

[Iceblue]

I know that I now have to manually give each computer on the NetGear a static IP address.

No you don't. As far as your Linksys DHCP server is concerend, everything connected to either the wireless or wired side of the Netgear is just another client needing an IP address assigned. Turning off the router functions in your Netgear makes it simply a wireless access point and an ethernet switch.